Shoe and process of lasting the same



SHOE AND PROCESS OF LASTING THE SAME Filed Feb. 16, 1931 (ill enema Julyas, E9533 JACOB S. KAOEIAN, F WEST NEWTON, SSAGHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR IONORTHERN MACHINE 60., ING, 0F BQSTON', MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 01EMASSACHU- SETTS SHOE AND PROCESS OF LASTING- THE S Application filed;February 16, 1931. Serial No. 515,921.,

This invention relates to footwear and more particularly to a shoe ofimprovedconstruction and'to a process of lasting such a shoe. Inaccordance with the usual processes of lasting, the upper is pulled overat the toe, commonly by machine and tacks are temporarily inserted atthe toe to hold this portion of the upper in place while the shoe islasted at the sides. After completion of the side lasting, thetacks atthe toe are removed, and the toe and heel lasting is commonly completedon a bed laster comprising movable wiper plates, which are caused tomove inwardly and over the projecting marginal portions of the upper,thereby causing said projecting portions to become pleated or foldedinwardly over and upon the under surface of the inner sole. While heldin this position by the wiper plates, the operator inserts closelyspaced tacks to secure the edge of the upper to the inner sole. In orderto avoid undue fullness of the pleated material at the toe, it is usualto trim of!" that part of the toe box which projects below the level ofthe last bottom and thus in the completed shoe the toe box finds noanchorage to the inner sole. For this reason the toe portion of the shoeis not as strong as might be desired, and the upper tends to bulge orspread laterally when the shoe is subjected to the pounding operationand also during use.

Furthermore according to the usual methods of lasting, even after thelower part of the box has been removed, as above described, the bulk ofthe pleated material at the toe is so great that the relatively movablewiper plates of the bed laster will not flatten it down to a levelsurface, and after lasting it is necessary to grind away this part ofthe shoe bottom, a crude operation which tears awav portions of themargins of the upper and lining and which necessitates the furtheroperation of pounding to reduce the remainder to a passably flatcondition.

- These operations of grinding and pounding add to the cost of makingthe shoe and in the case of the cheaper grades, where the lasts arepulled as soonas possible afterlasting, this pounding and grinding slowsup the entire operation.

In accordance with the present invention I provide a shoe which may bemade accurately to conform to the last at the toe portion and whichretains its shape indefinitely after lasting without tendency to spreador bulge,

these improved results being due in part at least to the fact that themargin of the toe box, as well as the margin of the upper, is firmly anduniformly anchored to the under side of the inner sole. Furthermore,since the pleated material at the toe in accordance with this process isbrought substantially to a flat surface before application of the outersole, the latter lies flat and true at the toe, making the subsequentsole leveling operation much easier and more effective. In obtainingthese desirable results I prefer first to prepare a. toe box (of any ofthe usual materials) but preferably having its forward or lower marginnotched and also skived, such notched marginal portion being coated orimpregnated with a suitable quick-setting cement preferably of a kindwhich when heated tends firmly to unite the toe box to adjacent parts.The thermoplastic binder of the well known Beckwith box toe possessesthe requisite qualities to some extent at least. I also provide a heaterdevice, conveniently a stiff 30 plate of metal shaped to conform more orless closely to the toe portion of the shoe to be lasted, such platehaving a handle or other suitable means by which it may be manipulated.This plate may be heated to the desired temperature in any suitablemanner,

as for example by the use of a stove, or by supplying it with electricalresistance coils.

In lasting the shoe, the toe is first pulled over according to usualmethods and the sides are lasted. The pulling over tacks are thenremoved, the projecting margin of the lining is trimmed awaysubstantially flush with the under sug'face of the sole, and theoperator then wipes in the marginal portion of the upper and the toe boxby means of the bed laster. If the material of the upper isv especiallythick or bulky, the central part of the pleated material may be shavedofli' level.

The heater plate is laid upon the pleated material and the wipers of thebed laster are lowered onto the edges of the plate and held there underpressure for a short time to allow the adhesive on the box to infiltrateinto the adjacent insole and upper. Usually it is suflicient to leavethe parts in this position while the operator is completing-the lastingof the heel. Since the heater plate is continuous, stiff and rigid itacts to iron out or flatten the pleated material much more effectivelythan the Wiper plates, the heat of the plate alone helping to set thematerial in flattened condition. The wiper plates are then lifted, theheater is removed, and the marginal portions of the toe box are nowfound to be securely stuck or welded to the margins of the upper and tothe inner sole, the pleated material lying flat, smooth and level. Inthis manner the toe box is anchored securely to the inner sole so as toimpart unusual strength to the toe portion of the shoe. The notching ofthe toe box and the trimming of the lining reduces the bulk of thematerial at the toe so that except when the upper is thick, it is notnecessary to trim.

away the pleated material at the toe, and the shoe bottom at the toe toeis so fiat and level that it is not necessary to subject the shoe to theusual grinding and pounding operation. By the use of cement which isnormally dry it does not daub the exposed parts of the shoe, and as notacks are inserted in this toe lasting operation, a smoother and neaterproduct is obtained and no metallic fasteners are left in such positionas to interfere with the subsequent operation of attaching the outersole or to cause discomfort to the wearer.

I am aware that it has been proposed to stick the margins of the upperand lining to the inner sole by means of adhesive such as rubber cement,cellulose acetate or nitrate, or other cementitious substances whichtake a long time to set, and that it has been proposed, when using suchmaterials, to hold the parts in place While the cement is setting bymeans of clamping plates attached to the inner sole of the shoe byprongs or tacks, or to the last itself by bolts, but such processesnecessitate the provision of great numbers of the clamping plates and/orthe employment of special lasts; they slow up the lasting process andadd to the cost of production; they leave the inner sole withundesirable holes and in most cases employ liquid cement which daubs theexposed parts of the upper, and these various disadvantages have broughtsuch prior processes into disrepute in the trade. Such prior proposedmethods are not to be compared with the present preferred processwherein the heater plate is used to actuate the adhesive and isassociated with the shoe for only a fraction of a minute, for exampleapproximately nine seconds.

I regard the present improved method as inclusive of variousmodifications, such for example as cutting the lining so that afterlasting it does not overlap the inner sole to any substantial extent,thus making unnecessary the'trimming step above described, and at thesame time affording a saving in the amount of lining material employed,or alternatively, cutting the lining as just suggested but leaving asmall central tab to act as a centering element in the pulling overoperation and to afford a grip for the lasting nippers. Moreover if theupper include a doubler, the latter also may be cut scant so as notsubstantially to overlap the inner sole after lasting. 1 alsocontemplate the employment of similar steps in lasting the heel portionof the upper, but at this part of the shoe, where the pleated materialis not so much condensed as at the toe, it is not usually-necessary toshave off the overlapping folds in order to obtain the desired flatbottom surface.

Furthermore, while l[ have described the invention in its preferredembodiment as employing a toe box having a normally dry or inactiveadhesive along its margin which becomes active when subjected to heat,the

invention is not necessarily limited thereto since in certain of itsaspects it provides advantages, even though a more or less liquid cementmay be employed which is applied to the overlapping portions of the toebox and/or the upper just before the latter are wiped in.

In the accompanying drawing in which I have illustrated certaindesirable embodiments of the invention by way of example:

Fig. 1 is a bottom view of a shoe of a usual type, showing theappearance of the parts at the completion of the side lasting operationand before the toe lasting has been completed;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary bottom view of the shoe with the pulling overtacks removed and illustrating the performance of one desirable step ofthe present process;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating a later step in the process;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a toe box or stiffener blank prepared inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a heater plate useful in performing the presentprocess;

, Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the heating plate on the line 5 -5of Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same plate resting upon an electricstove and showing means for controlling the heat;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary bottom view of the front portion of the shoeillustrating the performance of one of the later steps of the process;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the parts positioned asin Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal secarass? tion showing a shoe onthe last at the completion of the present improved lasting process;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary bottom view of the shoe at the completion ofthe lasting process; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary View illustrating a lining having a centeringtab in accordance with one form of the invention.

For convenience, I have chosen to illustrate the invention as embodiedin a McKay shoe,side lasted in accordance with the socalled Littlewayprocess, but it is to be understood that theinvention is not necessarilylimited in all of its aspects at least to this type of shoe, nor is itdependent upon the particular side lasting process which may beemployed.

In Fig. 9 the last is indicated at L, the inner sole at 1, the upper,usually of leather, at 2, (such upper comprising, if desired, thedoubler 2,commonly a piece of textile or other fabric cemented to theupper for strengthening the latter) the lining 3, and the toe box orstiffener 4. i

In accordance with the present invention, the toe box or stiffener blank4 may consist of any of the usual materials employed for this purpose,such, for example, as felt or cloth impregnated with a suitablestiffening medium, and for best results I find it desirable to make thisblank of such size that its forward edge projects substantially beyondthe margin of the upper with which it is assembled. The blank ispreferably provided at its margin with a series of notches 5 to reducethe amount of material at this point and thus facilitate lasting. Themarginal portion of the stiffener blank is also preferably skived orbevelled, and it is coated or impregnated with a cementitious substancewhich may be identical with the stiffening material, for example if thewell known Beckwith box toe be employed the thermoplastic binderincorporated in the material of the box toe may serve as thecementitioussubstance. Preferablythiscementitious material is normallydry or substantially dry, that is to say, inactive, but becomes activeas a uniting medium, when heated. One such material which I have foundsuitable for the purpose consists of Cumar gum, thinned with acetone andalcohol to the desired consistency for coating and impregnating thestiffener, but I contemplate that other adhesives may be found suitablefor the purpose and do not wish to confine myself to this particularform of cement.

In accordance with the present invention, I. also provide a heater plate7, preferably shaped to conform more or less closely to the contour ofthe forepart of the shoe bottom; such plate conveniently being of metaland having a handle 8 of heat insulating material by means of which itmay be manipulated by the operator. This plate 7 is of suitablethickness to furnish the desired amount of heat, and preferably isslightly concave as shown at 7 a on its under surface, so as to confineits bearing surface to its outer margin. For convenience in heating thisplate, I may provide a small electric stove 10 having a resistance coilor coils 11; such stove being mounted conveniently to the bed lastingmachine. Since different degrees of heat are found desirable for heatingdifferent upper materials, I may, if desired, provide the stove with arheostat 12 for controlling the current and, if desired, this rheostatmay be provided with a pointer 13 cooperating with a dial havingsuitable graduations, or which is marked for example, to correspond tothe different classes of material.

Alternatively, I may use other forms of stove, or may provide the heaterplate itself with heating coils, and to vary the amount of heatavailable for such operation, I may (instead of using plates heated todifferent degrees) employ plates of different thicknesses or heatabsorbing capacity adapted to furnish a greater or lesser number of heatunits for the heating operation.

Having provided the above parts and materials, I proceed with thelasting of the shoe substantially as follows: The inner sole 1 is tackedto the last in the usual manner, and the upper is then assembled andpulled over, preferably by means of usual pulling ov-er machinery whichinserts the pulling over tacks 14 at the toe portion of the upper,imparting to such toe portion the appearance shown in Fig. 1. The shoeis then side lasted, for example. by a machine which inserts the staples15 for securing its margins to the inner sole, said staples inaccordance with the usual and well known Littleway process extendingonly part way through the inner sole so as not to penetrate its innersurface, and having their leg portions so bent or curved as firmly toanchor them in place, and the heel portion of the upper may be lasted inmore or less as desired at this time.

The shoe is now ready for the completion of the lasting process inaccordance with the present invention, and at this stage of the process,the pulling over tacks 14 are withdrawn and the margin of the upper atthe forepart is opened out as shown in Fig. 2

and the surplus projecting part of the lining 3 is preferably trimmedoff substantially flush with the under side of the inner sole by meansof a knife 16 or other suitable instru-v ment, thus exposing theprojecting marginal portion of the stiffener or toe box 4. Preferably,in accordance with the present invention the doubler 2? is cut scant sothat it terminates as shown at 2, Fig. 9, substantially flush with theedge of the inner sole.

Alternatively, instead of cutting the lining full, and then cutting awayits margin after pulling over, I may cut it scant except for a centralprojecting tab 3" as shown on the lining 3 (Fig. 11) such tab serving tocenter the lining during pulling over and affording a hold for thelasting nippers, but being of small extent need not be cut away afterthe pulling over operation.

After the marginal portion of the lining has been removed as described,the toe portion is subjected to the usual operation of the wiper platesof the bed lasting machine, which wipe in the margin of the toe boX andlining, forming pleats P in the material at the toe as shown for examplein Fig. 3. If the upper material is thick and bulky, it may be desirableat this point in the operation to shave off the pleated portion P of theupper at the toe, for example by the use of a knife 17 or other suitableinstrument, such procedure being permissible in this case due to thecontinuous attachment of the upper and the box to the inner soleafforded by the adhesive. However, this shaving operation may not benecessary if the toe portion of the shoe is not pointed or if thematerial of the upper is thin and light.

Whether or not this shaving operation is performed, the heater plate 7is now removed from the stove 10 and laid upon the inturned marginalportions of the upper at the toe and the wiper plates W of the bedlasting machine are brought down with substantial pressure upon themargins of the plate 7, thus pressing the latter very iirmly against themargin of the upper, it being noted that the edge of the toe boxprojects inwardly beyond the upper so that it comes into direct contactwith the plate 7. The operator leaves the parts in this position whilecompleting the lasting of the heel portion of the shoe, for example, bythe operation of the heel wiper plates of the bed laster. During thisinterval the heat of the plate 7 causes the adhesive on the margin ofthe toe box or stiil'ener 4 to become active and as such margin now liesin direct contact with the under surface of the inner sole, (the liningat this point having been removed), and also in contact with the innersurface of the upper, the adhesive infiltrates into the substance ofboth inner sole and upper, thus firmly welding or uniting the toe box tothe inner sole, and uniting the upper to the toe box or stiffener. Bythe time the heel lasting operation is completed the cementitioussubstance will have set and substantially resumed its normal hardcondition. The bed laster plates W are now lifted and the shoe iswithdrawn, leaving the marginal portions of the upper and stiffenerfirmly anchored to the inner solo by the cementitious material, as abovedescribed. The bottom of the shoe now has substantially the appearanceshown in Fig. 10, it being noted that at 18 (Fig. 10) where the pleatedmaterial has been shaved oil at P (Fig. 3) a smooth flat surface is leftwithout any surplus material which requires subsequent removal, and thusthe usual operations of grinding and pounding are not necessary. Aftercompletion of the lasting operation ust described the outer sole is laiddirectly over the folded-in edge portion of the upper and attached tothe inner solo in accordance with the particular kind of shoe which isbeing made. For example, if as already suggested and herein specificallydisclosed, the shoe be of McKay type, the outer sole is stitched to theinner sole in the usual manner by through-andthrough stitches.

fVhile the present process is of particular utility in lasting the toe,T contemplate that a similar process may be used in lasting the heelportion of the shoe. Furthermore, while it is convenient, and for manyreasons desirable, to provide the desired adhesive by first applying itto or incorporating it in the stiffener before assembling the parts, Tcontemplate that so far as the finished shoe is concerned, similarresults may be obtained by applying the adhesive to the edge of theupper before assembly, or to the projecting margins of the stiffenerand/or the upper after the lining has been trimmed away as abovedescribed, and for the latter purpose I also contemplate the use of acement which is softened by heat, but which hardens again very quickly.For example, the substance known as Burgundy pitch may be found usefulwhen the process is modified in this way. Various other changes inmaterials employed may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention and it is to be understood that the order of steps aboveenumerated maybe varied as desired, and that when in the appended claimssuch steps are enumerated, the specified order is not to be regarded asa limitation.

I claim:

1. That method of lasting the end portion of a shoe which comprises assteps wiping in the marginal portion of the upper at said end by meansof the wiper plates of a bed laster, retracting said plates, disposing aheated member upon said end portion of the shoe bottom, and bringingsaid wiper plates down upon said heated member to cause the latter tolevel and set the wiped-in portions of the upper.

2. That method of lasting shoes which comprises as steps wiping in themarginal portion of the shoe upper at the toe of the shoe over the solemember by means of the wipers of a bed lasting machine and interposing acementitious medium between them, and subjecting such wiped-in portionto heat and pressure by means interposed between .the Wipers and themarginal material such aeraesr as to flatten and level it and set thelatter in wiped-in position.

3. That method of lasting the forepart of a shoe which comprises assteps wiping in 5 the margin of the toe portion of the shoe upper ontoan insolemounted on a last by the use of bed lasting wipers, lifting thewipers, interposing a substantially rigid presser plate between thelifted wipers and the wiped-in marginal material, said plate coveringsubstantially all of the wiped-in material, bringing the wipers forciblydown on said presser plate so as to flatten and level all of saidwiped-in material, and main taining the pressure by means of the lastingWipers while permanently securing the marginal material firmly to theinsole.

45. That method of lasting an end portion of a shoe which comprises assteps working the marginal portions of the upper material at the end ofthe shoe inwardly over an insole mounted on a last by means of bedlasting wipers, lifting the wipers, interposing a presser device betweenthe lifted wipers and the insole, said presser device extendinguninterruptedly at its rear portion from side to side of the shoe andcovering substantially all of the wiped-in material, and by use of thewipers forcing said presser device downward to flatten and level all ofsaid wiped-in material.

5. That method of lasting a selected portion of a shoe which comprisesas steps preparing a heater plate of a size and contour to coversubstantially all of-that portion of the bottom of the shoe which is tobe lasted, said, plate extending uninterruptedly from side to side of.the shoe bottom, wiping in the margin of the upper at said part of theshoe by means of the wipers of a bed lasting machine, heating said plateand disposing it directly upon said wiped-in portion of the up-- perwhile the shoe is in the lasting machine, and subjecting the plate tosuch pressure by means of the lasting machine wipers as to level and setthe wiped-in material.

6. That method of lasting shoes which comprises as steps wiping inmarginal portions of the shoe upper at the toe of the shoe by means ofthe wipers of a bed lasting machine, placing a heated plate, independentof the wipers, over the wiped-in material, such plate being stifl andrigid and extending uninterruptedly from side to side of the shoe bottomat the toe portion thereof, and applying substantially unyieldingpressure to said heated plate while the shoe is still in the lastingmachine whereby to flatten and level the wiped-in material and set it inflat condition.

7. That method of lasting the end portion of a shoe which comprises assteps working the marginal portion of upper material inwardly over aninsole mounted upon a last by repeated advance and retraction of bed.

lasting wipers in usual manner, introducing cement between the wiped-inmaterial and the insole at some stage in the wiping-in operation,lifting the wipers from the shoe, insorting a presser plate between thelifted wipers and the wiped-in material, bringing the wipers down uponsaid presser plate with force sufficient to flatten the wiped-inmaterial, and maintaining the pressure by means of the wipers until thecement has substantially set. v

8. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consist in workingthe margin of the toe end portion of upper materials into lastedposition upon the bottom face of an insole on a last by the wipers of alasting machine, retracting the wipers, interposing adhesive between thewiped-in margin and the insole, applying a presser plate to the wiped-inmarginal material, said plate extending from the inner edge of suchmaterial outwardly beyond the edge of the insole, forcing said plateagainst said material by means of the lasting machine wipers withpressure suflicient to flatten the material against the insole,maintaining said plate in pressure-applying relation to said margin bymeans of the wipers until the adhesive has substantially set, thereafterremoving the plate, applying an outsole, and securing it to the insoleby suitable attaching means.

9. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in workingthe margm of the toe end portion of an upper into lasted position uponthe bottom face of an insole on a last by the wipers of a lastingmachine, applying a presser plate to the toe portion only of saidwiped-in material, said plate extending from the inner edge of saidmaterial outwardly at least substantially as far as the edge of theinsole and covering substantially all of the wiped-in material,subjecting said plate to substantially unyielding pressure applied bythe bed lasting wipers and, by the use of cementitious material, causingthe upper to adhere to the insole under said pressure, maintaining thepressure applied by said wipers until the cementitious material hassubstantially set, thereafter releasing the wiped-in material from suchpressure and completing the shoe.

10. That improvement in methods of makint ing shoes which consists inworking the margin of the toe end portion of upper materials into lastedposition upon the bottom face of an insole on a last by the wipers of abed lasting machine, thereby producing pleats in the wiped-in material,introducing a cementitious substance between the insole and saidwiped-in material, applying a plate devoid of work penetrating elementsto the pleated wiped-in margin of the upper materials, while the shoe isstill in the bed lasting machine, applying substantially unyieldingpressure to said plate by means of the bed its lasting uppers to flattensaid pleated marginal materials against the bottom face of the insoleover the entire Width of said marginal materials, holding said plateunder pressure by means of the wipers until the cementitious materialhas substantially set, and thereafter releasing the margin frompressure, applying an outsole and permanently securing it in position.

11. That improvement in methods of making shoes, of the kind in whichthe outer sole is secured directly upon the margin of the up per lyingparallel to the shoe bottom and over an insole, which comprises as stepslasting the margin of upper materials at the toe end of a last inwardlyover the bottom face of an insole, mounted on the last, by means of thewipers of a bed lasting machine so as to cause the wiped-in material tolie in pleats, shaving olf so much of that portion of the material inwhich the pleats are formed as to make the exposed surface of all of thewiped-in material, including the pleated portions thereof, substantiallyflat and parallel to the insole while the shoe remains in the bedlasting machine, removing the Wipers out of operative relation to theshoe, removing the shoe from the lasting machine, and thereaftercompleting the shoe.

12. That method of lasting the toe portion of a shoe which comprises assteps preparing a heater plate of a size and contour substantially likethat of the forepart of the shoe bottom, wiping in the marginal portionof the upper by means of the wipers of a bed lasting machine, shaving 0da portion of the wiped-in material of the upper at the center of thetoe, heating the plate and disposing the plate upon the wiped-inmarginal portion of the upper, and pressing the plate forcibly down ontosaid wiped in and shaved portion of the margin by means of the lastingmachine wipers so as to flatten and set said margin.

13. That improvementin methods of making shoes which consists in workingthe margin of the toe end portion of the upper materials so as to causeit to lie in pleats upon the bottom face of an insole, mounted on alast, by means of the wipers of a bed lasting machine, shaving ofl thetops of the pleats at the central portion of the toe, applying to thewiped-in marginal material a presser plate which extends at leastsubstantially as far outward as the edge of the insole and which coverssubstantially all of the wiped-in material, pressing said plate withsubstantially unyielding pressure into engagement with the wiped-inmaterial by means of the wipers of the bed lasting machine, andmamtaining the pressure by means of the wipers'until the wiped-in marginof the upper has set in lasted position.

14. That improvement in methods of making shoes, of the kind in whichthe outer sole is secured directly upon the margin of the upper lyingparallel to the shoe bottom and over an insole which, consists inWorking the margin of the toe end portion of the upper materials intolasted position upon an insole on a last by means of the Wipers of a bedlasting machine thereby producing pleats at the toe, shaving off thetops of the pleats at the center of the toe to make the exposed surfaceof the pleated material level with the remainder of the wiped-inmaterial, applying a presser plate to the shaved surface of the wiped-intoe portion of the upper materials while the shoe is still in the bedlasting machine, pressing said plate against the wiped-in material bymeans of the bed lasting wipers and maintaining the pressuresubstantially undiminished while causing cementitious material to unitethe upper and insole, and then releasing the wiped-in toe material fromsuch pressure and completing the manufacture of theshoe.

15. The improved method of manufacturing boots or shoes having insoleand upper elements, comprising applying to at least one of said elementsa normally non-sticky adhesive which is rendered sticky by theapplication of heat, lasting the upper element across the edge andoverthe outer face of the insole into final operative position relativeto each other prior to the application of heat to render the adhesivesticky, and then disposing a heated plate upon that lasted over portionof the upper element which will not be exposed in the finished shoethereby,

to render the adhesive sticky, and holding said plate forcibly againstsaid lasted-over portion of the upper by means of lasting wipers untilthe adhesive has set sufficiently to unite the insole and upperelements.

. 16. The improved method of manufacturing boots or shoes which includesthe steps of providing the marginal portion of one element at least of amultiply boot'or shoe upper, including a stifl'ener member, with a i;

coating of normally dry adhesive capable of being rendered tacky byheat, assembling said"upper with an insole on a last, pulling over thetoe portion of the upper, mounting the last in a bed lasting machinehaving un-' heated wipers, removing the pulling-over tacks at the toeportion of the upper, wiping the marginal parts of said upper at thetoe, including said stifiener element inwardly over the insole by meansof the bed lasting wipers, and thereafter subjecting the Wipedin toeportion of the upper material to heat while applying downward pressureby means of said wipers, the heat being suliicient to render theadhesive tacky, and maintaining said pressure upon said wiped-inmaterial until the adhesive unites the insole and such wiped-in uppermaterial.

17. That process of lasting shoes which comprises as steps preparing anupper, a linnames? ing, and an inner sole, preparing a toebox having anotched and skived lower margin,

providing said lower margin of the toe box with a normally dry adhesivewhich becomes active when heated, assembling the parts, pulling over theupper, lining and toe box, and causing their marginal portions tooverlie the under surface of the inner sole, trimming away the lappingportion of the lining, laying a heated plate upon the marginal portionsof the upper and toe box whereby to soften the adhesive material, andholding said plate with substantially unyielding pressure against saidmarginal portions until the adhesive has set.

18. That' process of lasting shoes which comprises as steps preparing anupper, a lining, and an inner sole, preparing a toe box having a notchedand skived margin, providing said margin of the toe box with a normallyinactive adhesive which becomes active when heated, assembling theparts, pulling over the upper, lining and toe-box and causing theirmarginal portions to overlie'the under surface of the toe portion of theinner sole, trimming away the lapping portion of the lining, and heatingthe marginal portion of the toe box to activate the adhesive whilecovering substantially all of said marginal portion of the toe box bymeans of a presser plate which extends uninterruptedly across the toeportion of the shoe, and applying force to the presser plate to presssaidv marginal ortion of the toe box against the under sur ace of theinner sole so as to stick it to the latter.

19. That process of lasting shoes which comprises as steps preparing anupper, a lining, and an inner sole, preparing a toe box having a notchedmargin, providing said margin of the toe box with a normally dryadhesive which becomes active when heated, assembling the parts, pullingover the upper, lining, and toe box, wiping in their marginal portionsover the under surface of the inner sole by means of the wipers of abedlasting machine and trimming away the lapping portion of the lining,preparing a heat,- er plate of a shape substantially conforming to thetoe portion of the shoe, retracting the bed lasting wipers, disposingsaid plate'upon the marginal wiped-in portions of the upper and toe box,and forcing the plate while hot, by means of the bed lasting wipers,with substantial pressure against said margins whereby to cause saidadhesive permanently to unite the margins of the toe box and upper tothe inner sole. v

20. That I improvement in methods of making shoes having box toes, whichconsists in working the margin of the toe end portion of the uppermaterials, including cementitious stiffening material, into lastedposition upon the bottom face of an insole on a last by means of thewipers of a lasting machine,

then applying a presser plate, independent of the wipers and devoid ofwork penetrating prongs, to the wiped-in margin of the upper materials,while the shoe is still in the lasting machine, pressing said plate bymeans of the bed lasting wipers directly down upon said margin toflatten the latter upon the bottom face of the insole while forcing thecementitious stiffening material in said margin against the insole,maintaining such pressure upon the plate by means of the wipers untilthe stiffening material has set and. has stuck the marginal materials tothe insole, and thereafter releasing the margin from said pressure,applying an outsole, and securing it to the insole.

21. That method of making shoes which comprises preparing an upper, alining-and a sole member, mounting the sole member upon a last, pullingthe upper and lining over the last, trimming away surplus liningmaterial, wiping in the-marginal portions of the upper tolay them inpleats at the toe, shaving off the top of the pleats at the central partofthe toe, interposing a presser member independent of the wipersbetween the wipers and the wiped-in material, and

comprises preparing an upper, a lining, a

sole member, and a stiffener, assembling the stiffener with the liningand upper, mounting the sole member on a last, pulling over the upper,lining and stifiener over the last, trimming away the lining so that itsedge is substantially flush with the edge of the sole member, wiping inthe marginal portions of the upper and stiffener to cause them to lie inpleats. at the toe by the use of lasting machine wipers, shaving 0d thetop of the pleats at the center of the toe, causing the inner surface ofthe marginal wiped-in material to become adhesive, disposing a pres sureapplying plate independent of the wip- I ers upon the wiped-in pleatedportion of the margin, and, while the shoe-is still in the lastingmachine, causing said plate to hold said pleated portion underflattening pressure for a time sufficient to a low the adhesive to unitethe wiped-in material to the sole member.

23. That process of lasting shoes which comprises as steps preparing anupper, a lining, and an inner sole, preparing a toe box having a notchedand skived forward margin, providing said margin of the toe box with anormally dry adhesive which becomes active when heated, assembling theparts,

pulling over the upper, lining, and toe box and causing their marginalportions to overhe the under surface of the inner sole, trimming awaythe lapping portion of the lining, Wiping in the marginal portion of theupper andtoe box by means of the wipers of a bed lasting machine,interposing a presser member between the Wipers and the wiped-inmaterial, heating the marginal portion of the toe box after the Wipingoperation is substantially complete to cause the adhesive to becomeactive, and causing said presser member to exert flattening pressureupon said wiped-in marginal material until the adhesive has set.

24. That method of making shoes which comprises preparing an upper, alining, a sole member, and a stiffener, assembling the stifi'ener memberwith the upper, mounting the sole member upon a last, pulling theupamass? per, lining, and stifiener over the last, the stiffenercomprising a substance which be comes sticky when heated, trimming awaythe lining so that its edge is substantially flush with the edge of thesole member, wiping the marginal portions of the upper, and stift'enerinwardly over the sole member by means of lasting machine Wipers,disposing a heated presser member, independent of the wipers, upon thewiped-in material, While the shoe is still in the lasting machine, andcausing said presser member to exert flattening pressure upon saidmaterial until the marginal portion of the upper adheres to thestifl'ener.

JACQB S. KAMBURIAN.

